Rotary fan.



PATEN'TED APR. so, 1907.

J. W. HARDING.

ROTARY FAN.

APPLIUATION FILED APE.23,1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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WI TNESSES.

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2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 PATENTED APR. 30, 1907.

J. W. HARDING. ROTARY FAN.

APPLIOATION FILED APR. 23, 1903.

WITNESSES NORRI; PETERS 504, WASHINGTON, n c.

TINTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH W, HARDING, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO METROPOLITAN SEWING MACHINE OOMPANY,A COR- PORAIION OF NEW YORK.

ROTARY FAN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 30, 1907.

Be it known that I, Josnrn IV. HARDING, citizen of the Kingdom of Great Britain, residing in Brooklyn, county of Kings, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Rotary Fans, of which the following is a description.

This invention relates to rotary fans, and more particularly to the type thereof known as table fans; that is to say, fans which are supported by a work-table or bench. A series of such fans are usually connected, by suitable means, to a main driving-shaftso as to be actuated by said shaft as a primemover.

It is an object o'f-my invention to so construct the fan. mecl'ianism that any number of fans may be driven simultaneously, and also that any one or more of the fans may be thrown out of operation when not needed.

It is another object of my invention to novide a simple and effective means by which the fans may be thrown into and out of operation; and to provide a clutch device which will be certain and effective in operation.

With the above objects in view and others which will be set forth during the course of this description, the invention consists in the parts, features and combinations hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings: Figure l is a perspective view illustrating a section of a work table or bench having a fan of my invention connected thereto; Fig. 2 is a front elevation showing a section of the supporting rod or shaft for the fan blades, andv illustrating a means by which said blades may be adjusted at any desired angle relatively to said supporting shaft; F 3 is a longitudinal, vertical section of a portion of the fan mechanism, showing a means for connecting the same to the worlcbench, and also showing the clutch mechanism; Fig. 4 is a view showing a portion of the fan mechanism in elevation, and the table to which it is connected in section, illustrating the form shown in Fig. 3 Fig. 5 is a vertical, sectional view showing one form of driving mechanism; Fig. 6 is a front elevation of another form of my invention, illustrating the means by which the fan may be secured to the table; Fig. 7 is an enlarged, vertical, sectional view of the form shown in Fig. 6; Fig. 8 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of a portion of the fan mechanism showing details of the clutch; and Fig. 9 illus trates, partially in elevation and partially in section, the cam portion of the clutch shown in Fig. 8.

Primarily, it should be understood that the vertical rod or shaft of the fan, to which the blades are connected, may be made either solid or tubular, the latter being preferable on account of its lightness, and also because sections of piping may be employed which are easily purchaseable or usually at hand. Moreover, it should be understood that the driving shaft, from which the power is transmitted, is or may be the usual shaft employed in factories for driving the machinery thereof; or the same may be a counter-shaft suitably connected to and driven from a primemover and located conveniently relatively to the tables or work benches over which the fans operate.

The driving shaft is indicated by 1 and 2, being driving pulleys mounted upon said shaft for the purpose of driving any machine or mechanism supported upon the table 3; t, is the fan-shaft which is passed through the table and carries at its lower end a driving disk 5, frictionally engaging the driving wheel 6, carried by the main shaft 1. Suilable frictional driving means between the collar 6, and disk 5, may be p rovidcd such as a strip of leather 7, connected either to the wheel 6, as shown in Figs. 1, 5 and 6, or to the disk 5, as shown in F 7. Preferably, the frictional material is carried by the wheel (3, as such construction permits the adjustment of the said wheel diametrically of the disk 5, without losing contact of the latter with the frictional material. However, should the disk 5, carry frictional material and it be desired to adjust the wheel 6, relatively to the disk and always have the frictional material between the two, said material may be in the form of a disk covering substantially the entire bottom of disk 5. The disk. 5, is connected to the shaft 4, by means of a screw 8, tapped through the hub 9, and engaging the shaft 4, such connecting means rendering the disk 5, adj ustablc upon said shaft. The wheel 6, is adjustable longitudinally upon the shaft 1,the hub 10, of said wheel being split and having scrcwbolts ll,

passing therethrough for the purpose ofj clamping the same upon the shaft 1. Obviously, the adjustability of the disk and the wheel enables a proper frictional bearing or contact to be maintained between the two and also enables the collar to be adjustable toward and from the fan-shaft, and diametrically of the disk 5, for the purpose of regulating the speed of the fan-shaft.

At the upper end of the fan-shaft 4, the blades 12, are secured by means of collar 13, and a clamping screw 1 1, enables the blades to be adjusted vertically on the shaft 4. One form of my invention, see Fig. 2, contemplates a construct-ion wherein blades 12, are connected to bracket pieces 15, which latter are pivotally connected at 16, to the collar 13. Links 17, are pivoted at 18, to the bracket pieces 15, and at their other end are pivotally connected at the point 19, to a collar 20, vertically adjustable upon the shaft l, by means of a screw 21, tapped through the collar and engaging said shaft. This construction provides means whereby, upon the adjustment vertically of the collar 20, the blades 12, may be raised or lowered at any suitable angle relatively to the shaft i, thus enabling the said blades to agitate the air as close to the table as is desired. Moreover, by lowering said blades into parallelism with the shaft l, their action upon the air can be entirely destroyed. Instead of the construction just described the collar 13, merely, as shown in Figs. 1 and 6, may rigidly support the blades 12.

The clutch mechanism for throwing the fan into and out of operation may be described with reference to Figs. 7, S and 9. Therein, 22, indicates a tubular bracket rigidly secured to the Work-table by means of screws 23, passing therethrough and into the table, said bracket surrounding the shaft 4 and, in combination with another bracket 2 1, similarly surrounding the shaft and screwed to the table on its under side, supports the shaft and prevents the same from having movement or vibration on the table. The bracket 24,1s elongated as shown at 25,for the purpose of rendering the shaft l, stable and firm in its operation. The shaft 4, has its bearings within the brackets by means of bushings 26, which are suitably supported by the flanges 27, of the bracket 24, said bushings being made of Babbitt run in between the flanges, or by any other suitable means. Upon the shaft t, above the bracket 22, is mounted a loose sleeve 28, having its lower end extended into an enlarged bore 22 of the bracket 22, and being provided with a cam-notch or recess 29, which engages the smooth end of the screw 30, tapped through the bracket 22, as clearly shown in Figs. 8 and 9. The sleeve 28, is provided with a manipulating ring or handle 31, for the purpose of rotating shaft 4, may also be regulated by merely adjusting the collar 32, on the shaft 4, so that the disk 5, will bear more or less heavily upon the wheel 6. Secured to the sleeve 28, above the operating handle 31, is an elongated sleeve 3%, extended sulliciently toward the blades of the fan to afford protection from the shaft -l, and also to prevent lint, etc,

from collecting in the bearings.

Another means, for rigidly supporting the shaft l, relatively to the table and for preventing the same sagging or bending, is shown in Fig. 3. Therein, a flanged sleeve 35, is shown surrounding the shaft and extending below the table, and provided at its lower end with a bushing 36, affording a bearing for said shaft, similarly to the bush ing 26. The sleeve has an extension 37, entering an aperture in the table, and in said aperture is connected with the depending flange 38, of a similar sleeve 39, surrounding the shaft above the table. The sleeve 39, is provided with a similar bushing 36, affording a bearing for the shaft l. The sleeves 35, and 39, are arranged telescopically so as to enable the same to be applied to tables of varying thickness. The sleeves 35, and 39, are provided with flanges 40, which are connected to the table and to each other by means of screw-bolts 41, this construction rendering the entire structure just described quite rigid and compact and affording a means for properly supporting the shaft without any bearing in the table, as seen in Fig. 3, the aperture in the table being large and the bearings being free therefrom.

The operation of the various parts is as follows: The fan is driven from the shaft 1, at any suitable speed, according to the adjustment of the wheel 6, relatively to the disk 5, or the pressure of the latter upon the former. The height of the blades of the fan may be regulated as desired. Normally, the disk 5, is held from contact with the driving wheel 6, by turning the cam-sleeve 28, to rotate upon the end of the screw 30, this operation elevating the shaft 4:, and lifting the disk 5, from contact with the wheel 6, the fan being thus out of operation. A reverse movement of the cam-sleeve 28, will cause the same to rotate upon the screw 30, lower the shaft, and bring the disk 5, into contact with the driving wheel 6, on the shaft 1. Obviously, any number of blades 12, may be secured to the collar 13, although only two are shown herein for simplicity ofillustration. Furtherthe same upon the 1 more, it will be obvious that the links 17, in-

stead of being connected to a connnon collar 20, as shown in F i 2, may be secured to independent collars, adjustable upon the shaft 4, so as to enable the individual blades to be independently adjusted relatively to the said shaft. This may often be found to be a convenient and desirable structure, and being quite obvious it is not herein illustrated.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination, a horizontal drivingl shaft; a vertical fan-shaft located above the driving-shaft a two-part driving connection between the two shafts which is secured by gravity of the fan-shaft; a stationary hearing through which thefan-shaft extends, in which it rotates, and by which it is sustained and means carried by said bearing and eo operating with said fan-shaft for throwing the driving connections into and out of contact.

, 2. In combination, a shaft carrying fanblades, a table through which the shaft extends, independent tubular brackets secured on opposite sides of the table and surrounding and supporting the shaft, and one of said brackets having bushings affording supports and wearing bearings for the shaft, and means for driving the shaft.

3. In combination, a shaft carrying fanblades; a table through which the shaft freely passes; independent tubular brackets surrounding the shaft on opposite sides of the table, and one of said brackets having an 1 elongated extension surrounding and bracing the shaft; and means for driving the shaft.

4. In combination, a driving-shaft, a driven shaft carrying fan-blades, means between the two shafts whereby the driven shaft may be actuated, and means for throwing the driven shaft out of action including a fixed bracket, a sleeve having a cani-face, a bearing on the bracket cooperating with the cam-face, and means between the driven shaft and the sleeve, whereby when the latter is actuated said shaft will be raised thereby and thrown out of action.

5. In combination, a shaft carrying fanblades, a table, a bearing on said table including telescopic sleeves surrounding the shaft and rigidly connected to the table, said sleeves being provided with bushings a'll'ording running bearings for the shaft.

6. In combination, a supporting table, a rotary shaft carrying :l'an-blades, telescopic sleeves surroumiling said shaft and extending through said table, means for fixing the sleeves to the latter at opposite sides thereof, the telescopic connection permitting the sleeves to be connected to tables of varying thickness, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH \V. HARDING.

\Vitnesses:

CHAS. McC. CHAPMAN, NETTIE GOLDSTEIN. 

